NFL Player News

The Saints selected Perry in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 195th overall.

Perry is a bit thin at 6-foot-4, 198 pounds and with that comes concern about whether he can handle the physicality of the NFL, but Perry was extremely productive at Wake Forest (152 receptions for 2,389 and 26 touchdowns in his last 27 games) and he might have the right athletic traits to be a tough situational matchup for defenses. More specifically, Perry seems almost unnaturally flexible and agile for someone of his height, meaning he can look smaller when he needs to and start/stop/change direction more like someone 5-foot-11 when it suits him. That matters because if Perry is elusive enough then he can win the ball by creating separation rather than physically dominating at the catch point. He's someone to keep an eye on, even if he's a long shot.

The Buccaneers selected Palmer in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 191st overall.

Palmer (6-feet, 192 pounds) was initially a standout recruit for LSU but transferred to Nebraska after struggling to earn playing time with the Tigers. Palmer's one season with Nebraska was a major success as his 4.33 speed made him a feared big-play threat in the Big Ten, resulting in 71 receptions for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns on 111 targets. Palmer's speed makes him a credible downfield decoy if nothing else, but the issue is that he really might not be much more than that. Palmer's speed is real, but he cuts down the field like a javelin -- fast, but inflexible and bound to a rigid course -- so when anything goes slightly off schedule Palmer pretty much derails. If his skill set can add more polish then Palmer's tools would become more interesting.

The Patriots selected Boutte in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 187th overall.

Boutte (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) was standout recruit for LSU who at one point appeared a potential star after a brilliant first two seasons with the Tigers. Boutte drew 131 targets in those first 16 games, catching 83 passes for 1,243 yards and 14 touchdowns all before turning 20. Unfortunately he fell off in his 2022 junior season, logging just 48 receptions for 538 yards and two touchdowns on 74 targets, and from there began a rising sense of concern about Boutte's character off the field. He struggled at the combine, testing below average across the board and testing truly awful in the jumps (29-inch vertical, 118-inch broad jump). Boutte's workout was so poor that it makes it difficult to believe he was training properly -- it's almost inconceivable that Boutte produced the way he did in his first two seasons while running and jumping as poorly as he did at the combine. It's possible that Boutte could prove to be a steal for New England down the road, but for now he's behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton on the team's WR depth chart.

The Jaguars selected Washington in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, 185th overall.

Washington had a very productive three-year career at Penn State, which began his freshman season when he recorded 36 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns. He battled injuries in his junior year, which could have played a role in his slide down the board. Washington also isn't overly athletic, but he lands in an interesting spot and could immediately serve as Jacksonville's fourth or fifth wide receiver.

The Rams took Nacua in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 177th overall.

Nacua has an interesting profile coming off of a productive run at BYU to close his collegiate career. He showed the ability to serve as both a deep threat and possession receiver, but he lacks the athleticism desired for an NFL receiver. Of note, Nacua also missed games throughout his career due to minor injuries, so to have a chance at making the Rams' roster he'll have to stay on the field throughout training camp and the preseason.

The Packers selected Wicks in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 159th overall.

Wicks (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) is a well-built receiver with a standout catch radius (32 and 3/8-inch arms), but the Virginia product has a somewhat uneven prospect profile despite a few definite strengths. It appears that Wicks has some notable amount of innate ability as a downfield target, as he turned 95 targets into 57 receptions for 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns (12.7 YPT, 21.1 YPC) in 2021, but it's not clear whether he's fast enough to access the same field depths in the NFL. Wicks ran a 4.62 40, which generally isn't threatening past the chains from a boundary position, but if Wicks can manage to reach the depths where his skill set shows up then his 39-inch vertical and 130-inch broad jump confirm the idea that Wicks will always be tough to defend at the rim. To begin his NFL career Wicks will likely compete for the WR4 role behind Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and second-round rookie pick Jayden Reed, but it's worth monitoring his development from there.

The Bills selected Shorter in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 150th overall.

The Bills are adding some serious size to their pass-catching group with first-round TE Dalton Kincaid and now Shorter. A five-star recruit out of high school in 2018, Shorter never really latched on at Penn State and ultimately transferred to Florida. He was a two-year contributor for the Gators and amassed 1,127 combined receiving yards in his final two seasons. Though Shorter has flaws to his game, he's a good athlete (4.55 40) for his size (6-foot-4, 229) and compares physically to Gabe Davis. At best, Shorter will be a backup to Davis in that role in the Buffalo offense, and it's unlikely that he will develop into an every-down player.

The Bears selected Scott in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 133rd overall.

Scott was a productive pass catcher for Cincinnati across three seasons, and he fully broke out in his junior year by posting 54 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. He specializes as a deep threat -- he averaged 17.3 and 16.6 yards per reception in his final two years with the Bearcats -- and will add that element to Chicago's offense. As a rookie, Scott will look to carve out a depth role in a wideout corps currently headed by DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney (ankle) and Chase Claypool.

The Bengals selected Jones in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 131st overall.

Jones (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) was very productive for Purdue in 2022, but he did very little in the five prior years while transferring from Buffalo, to Iowa, to Purdue. It's great that Jones caught 110 passes for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, but it pointedly still is not impressive for a 24-year-old player, especially one who produced just 718 yards in the prior five seasons. At least Jones tested well at the combine, logging a 4.43-second 40 and 124-inch broad jump. In any case, Jones will begin his pro career behind Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd on the Bengals' wide receiver depth chart.

The Chargers selected Davis in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 125th overall.

Davis posted an impressive 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine, though that is paired with size concerns as he stands only 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. His stature limited him to relatively uninspiring college production, though he did manage 42 receptions for 531 yards and five touchdowns in his final season at TCU. As a rookie, Davis will pair up with college teammate Quentin Johnston to add depth to a Chargers' wideout corps headed by returnees Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.